Studies find El Niño influences disease patterns around the world. Certain disease outbreaks, including some of the worst pandemics of the 20th century, are linked to weather patterns in the Pacific Ocean, according to new research. Scientists said tracking these climate changes can help officials anticipate and plan for surges in illnesses. [News Source]

Unite to fight bird flu. Two research teams have found that a handful of mutations allow H5N1 to spread like ordinary flu while staying just as deadly, at least in ferrets. Given that ordinary flu can infect a third of humanity in a season and that half the people who catch H5N1 die, the implications are not hard to fathom. [News Source]

Swan carcasses found, a few infected with avian flu WESTBORO - A battery of tests by state and federal inspectors on a dozen swan carcasses found in a local pond revealed that four of the dead birds tested positive for avian influenza. [News Source]

Victorian avian flu duck cull A national disease emergency plan has been activated by the culling of stock at Golden Duck Farms in Victoria to prevent the outbreak of a pathogenic avian influenza. According to reports, to prevent any potential risks of outbreaks, 25,000 ducks were gassed to death in the last two days. Victoria’s chief veterinary officer Andrew Cameron [...] [News Source]

Panel Praises Removal of Details on Bird Flu Removing information from manuscripts describing experiments that made a lethal bird flu more likely to transmit among humans “maximized the benefits to society and minimized the risks,” the government’s biosecurity panel said. [News Source]

Bird flu detected in Victoria spurs action A bird flu outbreak has been detected at two Victorian farms and at least 10,000 ducks will have to be destroyed. The two farms are about 25km apart in an area north of Melbourne, but officials are keeping the exact location private. [News Source]

NSABB explanation of decision to recommend censoring of bird flu research expected soon The NIH is expected on February 1 to release a statement explaining how the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) reached a decision late last year to recommend "that two scientific papers describing research that created strains of bird flu potentially transmissible in humans should be published only if key details are omitted," for fear "that terrorists or hostile ... [News Source]

Ducks to be culled after avian flu find MORE than 10,000 ducks will be destroyed after a bird flu outbreak was detected at farms in Melbourne's north. [News Source]

Bird flu fears: Flap over pet market move Despite lingering fears about the spread of bird flu in the country with the world's highest number of fatalities from the deadly avian influenza virus, Indonesia's largest pet market has survived several attempts to relocate it. [News Source]

Mild bird flu strain detected at duck farm THE Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has noted the detection of a low pathogenic avian influenza at a free-range duck farm at two locations in northwest Melbourne. [News Source]

Ducks to be culled after avian flu find MORE than 10,000 ducks will be destroyed after a bird flu outbreak was detected at farms in Melbourne's north. [News Source]

Bird flu in Penang BAGAN SERAI: The H5N1 avian flu virus strain – already detected in Kuala Lumpur and Perak this year – has now been found in northern Seberang Prai in Penang. [News Source]